Engineering lane · assessment
Legacy System Specification Assessment
Most firms don’t fear their old system. They fear the weekend they switch it off. Start by writing down what it actually does.
You can start with a conversation about the system. We ask for read-only code access only when the assessment begins.
You leave with
A written specification
What the system really does, including the business rules buried in the code, the data it holds, the reports it produces and what it connects to.
A risk register
What could go wrong if you keep it, and what could go wrong if you replace it.
A keep-vs-replace cost comparison
The cost of carrying on as you are, set against the cost of replacing it in stages.
A staged replacement plan
If replacing it is the right call: which module goes first, and what each stage proves.
The specification is yours to keep, and it works with any supplier.
How the work runs
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We research your sector
We research your sector, the regulator’s position and what the public record says about firms in your situation.
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We write the specification
AI does a first pass, our senior engineers review it and trace it to the code, and your own experts confirm it.
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We set a benchmark
Before work starts we set a benchmark: a few measures from your own system, each with a target. After each module or stage we show you where each one stands.
If you replace it
We replace a system one module at a time while the old one keeps running. We never do a single cutover.
- Billed by milestone, each milestone tied to a module you accept.
- You can pause after any accepted module. What has been delivered and specified is yours.
Systems we read
- VB6
- Delphi
- AngularJS
- PHP (4 to 8)
- Java 8
- .NET Framework / classic ASP
If your system is built on something else, ask. We will tell you plainly whether we can read it.
Independent advice
The assessment may recommend keeping the system, or another supplier. We take no referral fees.
Your code
Code access is read-only and logged, never used for training, and deleted within 30 days of the evaluation ending unless we engage.
Questions
Do we have to replace the system afterwards?
No. The assessment may recommend keeping it. The specification is yours either way.
Can our current vendor use the specification?
Yes. It is written to be portable to any supplier, including the one you have.
What if nobody documented the system?
That is the usual starting point. The specification is built from the code itself, reviewed by our senior engineers and confirmed by the people in your business who use the system.
Do you need our source code?
Not to start. You can start with a conversation about the system; we ask for read-only code access only when the assessment begins. That access is logged, never used for training, and deleted within 30 days of the evaluation ending unless we engage.
How long does it take?
It depends on the size of the system. You get the duration with the fixed price at scoping.
Write it down before you switch it off.
Tell us about the system. We'll tell you plainly whether an assessment is worth it.
Talk through where your system standsFixed price, agreed at scoping · the specification is yours